My Lower Back

[Squatter]

Originally Posted by jdmalm123

Jim,

I've looked at hundreds of lumbar MRIs like yours and I have had spine surgery...I'm going for 500 next year!

Many doctors don't know shit about the spine, especially for a well-trained athlete like you..

I'd be really happy to talk to you. If you're interested, PM me and we'll go from there...

PM sent JD!

Originally Posted by themaster2981

Squatter, there are many incidents I have read on internet when doctors had advised their patients not to lift weights, but form work , rehab, patience,and constant monitoring have helped patients to recover and do what they love.

I am sure you would deadlift again that too more than 500 lbs. Just be positive and there are experts on MAB who are already helping you. Keep up the fight bro. All the best.

Thanks Master! Indeed, I have hope now. With that said, I do have some fear right now of fucking the back up again, after it is healthy (or as healthy as it can be) and then attempting over a 405 squat or close to a 500 deadlift.

[MC]

Jim,
I've got similar issues in similar places (and an additional one). I hope you're able to find exercises that work for strengthening the area and that will continue to let you do the lifts you love without jeopardizing your health.

I don't really know what else to say. I understand first-hand how an injury like this can really rob you of your joy for lifting and your confidence with weight. Just take it slow and easy and, hopefully, your body will help steer your path.

[Squatter]

Originally Posted by MC

Jim,
I've got similar issues in similar places (and an additional one). I hope you're able to find exercises that work for strengthening the area and that will continue to let you do the lifts you love without jeopardizing your health.

I don't really know what else to say. I understand first-hand how an injury like this can really rob you of your joy for lifting and your confidence with weight. Just take it slow and easy and, hopefully, your body will help steer your path.

Thanks MC! DB Rows went fine yesterday. Also, I am doing lots of dead hangs and will be doing chins/pullups to decompress. I hope to actually progress on those suckers for once as I am on a cut. I am also going to try some hyperextensions tonight. I am also getting Chiropractic starting today, along with massages every month, which are already scheduled.

You also bring up a good point about confidence wrt squatting over 405 again. Deadlifts do not pose a confidence problem ever for me. Squat will likely as that is the lift that seems to aggravate it the most at weights above 405. Funny, now that I think about it, that the Doc said deads will aggravate and irrittate this the most, when squats have always done it in the past for me. I know when I lean on squats, I am in big trouble.

[Squatter]

***UPDATE***

I had my appointment with the Doc at Alberta Back & Neck Rehab this morning. This is the place where they have a spinal decompression machine. After a long consultation, It was the opinion of the Doc that I take a lower back strength test. The test is done on a high tech device that isolates the lower back in order to test it's strength. It's called a Med-X. Once strapped into it, it calibrates your upper and lower limits of back motion. After it is all calibrated and set up by the Doc, it then lowers my upper body so that my chest is almost right up against my quads. Then, I have to push against the backpad with all my might. After a few seconds, it gets a reading. Then, it is raised back a bit, then I have to push again, and it gets another reading. It takes about 6 readings at varying range of motions up until I am fully hyperextended.

Well, I ended up scoring very poorly on the test - way below the average dude walking on the street who has never evn lifted before. All my other muscles like glutes, quads, upper back, etc scored very well above average.

The Doc is saying that the main culprit behind me "crapping out" (Yes, his words lol) on squats above 405 is precisely my very weak lower back, which is giving out long before my other muscles and thus causing the lean coming out of the hole.

Very interesting. He said a healthy back is a strong back. (Yes-Off Road - your wisdom was backed up by this doc) This same device used to test my strength is also the same device used to strengthen it. It precisely isolates the lower back. No other muscles can be used to assist.

I have 8 workouts on the device scheduled now over the next month. After the last session, they will retest. He pretty much guaranteed me my squatting and deadlifting will take off and said there is no reason why I cannot squat 450+ and pull 500, especially considering how strong the rest of my body is, and despite having the other issues in my lower back.

After the strengthening treatments, they will then start decompression sessions. I will go thru 20 of them.

All of this is going to cost me about $4000.00.

But you know what - I don't care. The ability to pull and squat again and reach my goals is worth it.

So, whaddaya all think about this? Does it make sense that poor lower back strength, especially in relation to really strong everything else, is the cause of me crapping out everytime I work my way up to a 410 and up squat?

[Hunterace]

Finally some great news! Well cept the $ part, but if your ok with it good! I'm so happy for you Super Jim, and can't wait to see you reach your goals!!!!!!!

[IrishHitman]

This is great news!! As has been said so many other times by so many other people, we're here for you every step of the way. Glad the second opinion is panning out.

[Cutty]

Squatter, I cried seeing your video and I'm crying for you now. I am so happy to see that you are able to keep going and be able to hit your goal and keep going. In a world of bad news around every corner this is probably the best thing I've heard in quite some time.

I'm very happy for you man. Money will come to help pay, that is a minimal fee for your happiness and livelihood.

[Fazc]

Great news. God bless.

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by Squatter

So, whaddaya all think about this? Does it make sense that poor lower back strength, especially in relation to really strong everything else, is the cause of me crapping out everytime I work my way up to a 410 and up squat?

It's easy to end up having lower back weakness whilst pulling and squatting strongly and it makes perfect sense that it's the culprit. Many people, even those that squat a whole lot, cannot raise the legs and the upper body of the floor and hold whilst in a prone position, they just don't even know how to go about accomplishing it to begin with, oddly.

[Off Road]

Glad it's working itself out.